title: Increased seizure latency and decreased severity of pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in mice after essential oil administration.
abstract: The effect of pretreatment with essential oils (EOs) from eight aromatic plants on the seizure latency and severity of pentylenetetrazol- (PTZ-) induced seizures in mice was evaluated. Weight-dependent doses of Rosmarinus officinalis, Ocimum basilicum, Mentha spicata, Mentha pulegium, Lavandula angustifolia, Mentha piperita, Origanum dictamnus, and Origanum vulgare, isolated from the respective aromatic plants from NE Greece, were administered 60 minutes prior to intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a lethal dose of PTZ to eight respective groups of Balb-c mice. Control group received only one i.p. PTZ injection. Motor and behavioral activity of the animals after EOs administration, development of tonic-clonic seizures, seizure latency and severity, and percentage of survival after PTZ administration were determined for each group. All groups of mice treated with the EOs showed reduced activity and stability after the administration of the oil, except for those treated with O. vulgare (100% mortality after the administration of the oil). After PTZ administration, mice from the different groups showed increased latency and reduced severity of seizures (ranging from simple twitches to complete seizures). Mice who had received M. piperita demonstrated no seizures and 100% survival. The different drastic component and its concentration could account for the diversity of anticonvulsant effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Medical School, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis 68100, Greece.
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Koutroumanidou
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kimbaris
authors.forename: Alexandros
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kortsaris
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bezirtzoglou
authors.forename: Moschos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polissiou
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Charalabopoulos
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pagonopoulou